President Donald Trump is mischaracterizing documents the FBI released this weekend related to the agency's wiretapping of Carter Page, a onetime campaign adviser.

Trump is claiming without evidence that the FBI misled the court into granting a wiretap order, then classified the documents to "cover up misconduct."

He was quoting a conservative activist on Fox News.

He tweeted early Monday to call investigators' interest in US activity with Russian officials a "hoax".

The special counsel Robert Mueller is still investigating potential collusion between Russia and Trump's campaign.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is mischaracterizing documents released by the FBI this weekend related to the agency's wiretapping of Carter Page, a onetime campaign adviser.

Trump is claiming without evidence that the FBI inappropriately used political research by British spy Christopher Steele to mislead the court into granting a wiretap order, then classified the documents to "cover up misconduct."

That's not what the documents show. Released online Saturday under the Freedom of Information Act, the documents note the political ties to Steele's work but said it still believed some of his report to be "credible."

The FBI said it suspected Page had been "collaborating and conspiring with the Russian government."

Page denies being a foreign agent. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is still investigating potential collusion between Russia and Trump's campaign.

Sunday evening, Trump was back to referring to the Russia commotion as "a big hoax."

That comes after a week of drama, back tracking, a double negative and blistering statements from allies about his attitude toward Russian election interference.

Trump spent days trying to reassure the country that he accepts that the longtime foe interfered in the 2016 election after his public undermining of US intelligence agencies in Helsinki while standing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But Trump cast doubt once again in a Sunday tweet, diminishing at least the significance, if not the existence, of the interference and the US investigation into Russia's actions.